“The great growling engine of change–technology.”–Alvin TofflerWe use technology in almost all the work we do. Technology is what makes our lives easier and more manageable, whether it’s at work or at home. It is crucial that we are able to use technology in a way that makes us an asset to our workplace and contribute to the positive change we want to see. We live in the 21st Century, where technical skills are in high demand in every workplace. The ability to invest in these skills can make it easier for individuals to find new jobs, change careers, promote their company, or improve their professional development. Pew Research Center conducted a survey on “The State of American Jobs” in 2016. It found that 87% of workers believe they need to be able to keep up with changes in the workplace. Here are three questions that were asked to more than 2,000 respondents. 1) How would you describe your tech literacy in the workplace today, as technology has become integral to almost every profession, from doctor to marketer and mechanic to doctor. Technology is progressing at an incredible pace. Albert Einstein once predicted that technology would surpass human interaction and that there would be a generation of idiots. Source: Researchscape International. The graph above shows that while many respondents feel comfortable using the technology we have, only a small portion of respondents consider themselves to be literate in technology. What does this mean? We should try to keep up with technology or we might find ourselves controlling the technologies that we have. Technology is the tool that allows us to make the changes we want. It gives us hope for a brighter and better future. Jacques Ellul stated that efficiency in modern technology is the defining factor of a new social order. It is imposed upon all human activity. Do you think employers are preparing workers adequately with respect to teaching future-forward tech skills?https://www.manpowergroup.com/wps/wcm/connectThe future of companies lies in three things: Clients, Management, and Workers. These are the foundations of any strong organization. If one falls, all others will follow. The management is the topmost level of any company’s hierarchy. They are the brain of any business organization. Their primary goal is to please their customers with high-quality services and products. However, their primary responsibility is to manage their employees well and promote their welfare as well as provide training workshops for them to develop. The World Economic Forum in 2016 stated that education and changes in learning environments are essential to ensure people remain employable in the future labor market. Researchscape also asked questions about how tech literacy empowerment is being applied in the workplace. Let’s take a look at the below illustration to see how people responded to the topic. Only one option was possible. Out of 2,339 respondents only 2,130 answered question number two. Surprisingly 56% of the 91% of respondents to this question stated that employers are not adequately preparing workers for future-oriented tech skills. 44% of respondents thought that employers and companies were not adequately training their workers in technology skills. It would be better for companies to look into this and do something to improve their tech skills. What can employers do to empower and support workers in tech literacy? Even non-tech jobs require tech skills. Here are the results of the survey on what employers should do to support employees in tech literacy.
1. Offer incentives to individuals who enroll in coding bootcamps and other tech training workshops outside work – 39%
2. Facilitate more communication/interaction between tech workers and non-tech workers to encourage understanding of each other’s jobs – 36%
3. Invest in the upskilling of non-tech workers in sales, marketing, management, HR, and HR to de
